Preview: The Pause Student Book

Thanks for downloading this sample of the Pause Student Book from ym360’s Event Resources line of Bible Study.

The Pause Student Book is the road map for your students’ event experience. Here are just a few features: --48 full color pages --Note taking areas for Large Group Sessions --Interacts with the Small Group Lessons your teachers access Online --Features four bonus devotions for use throughout your event --Biblically solid, culturally relevant, highly interactive If you have any questions about the Pause Student Book, or any other ym360 Event Resource, don’t hesitate to call. We're here to help! 1-888-969-6360

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. the pause learning to seek God

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This Book Belongs To: Date:

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girlfriend

music tomorrow

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texting

music

him

him

Published by:

Contents The Pause Intro

1

Session 1 Intro

2

Large Group Session 1 Notes

3

Small Group Session 1 Intro

5

Session 1 Getting Started

6

Session 1 Digging In

7

Session 1 Wrapping Up

9

Session 2 Intro

10

Large Group Session 2 Notes

11

Small Group Session 2 Intro

13

Session 2 Getting Started

14

Session 2 Digging In

15

Session 2 Wrapping Up

17

Session 3 Intro

18

Large Group Session 3 Notes

19

Small Group Session 3 Intro

21

Session 3 Getting Started

22

Published by youthministry360 in the United States of America.

Session 3 Digging In

23

Session 3 Wrapping Up, Part 1

24

ISBN 13: 978 1 935832 133 ISBN 10: 1 935832 13 1

Session 3 Wrapping Up, Part 2

25

Session 4 Intro

26

Large Group Session 4 Notes

27

Small Group Session 4 Intro

29

Session 4 Getting Started

30

Session 4 Digging In

31

Session 4 Wrapping Up

33

Any reference within this piece to Internet addresses of websites not under the administration of youthministry360 is not to be taken as an endorsement of these websites by youthministry360; neither does youthministry360 vouch for their content.

The Pause Closing

34

Devotion 1

35

Devotion 2

37

Devotion 3

39

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Devotion 4

41

The Pause: Learning To Seek God © 2010, 2011 by youthministry360

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Author: Andy Blanks Design: Upper Air Creative Copy Editor: Lynn Groom

Contents The Pause Intro

1

Session 1 Intro

2

Large Group Session 1 Notes

3

Small Group Session 1 Intro

5

Session 1 Getting Started

6

Session 1 Digging In

7

Session 1 Wrapping Up

9

Session 2 Intro

10

Large Group Session 2 Notes

11

Small Group Session 2 Intro

13

Session 2 Getting Started

14

Session 2 Digging In

15

Session 2 Wrapping Up

17

Session 3 Intro

18

Large Group Session 3 Notes

19

Small Group Session 3 Intro

21

Session 3 Getting Started

22

Published by youthministry360 in the United States of America.

Session 3 Digging In

23

Session 3 Wrapping Up, Part 1

24

ISBN 13: 978 1 935832 133 ISBN 10: 1 935832 13 1

Session 3 Wrapping Up, Part 2

25

Session 4 Intro

26

Large Group Session 4 Notes

27

Small Group Session 4 Intro

29

Session 4 Getting Started

30

Session 4 Digging In

31

Session 4 Wrapping Up

33

Any reference within this piece to Internet addresses of websites not under the administration of youthministry360 is not to be taken as an endorsement of these websites by youthministry360; neither does youthministry360 vouch for their content.

The Pause Closing

34

Devotion 1

35

Devotion 2

37

Devotion 3

39

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Devotion 4

41

The Pause: Learning To Seek God © 2010, 2011 by youthministry360

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Author: Andy Blanks Design: Upper Air Creative Copy Editor: Lynn Groom

Step One . . .

Every journey begins with a single step. And you’re about to embark upon a journey, of sorts. This journey will lead you to look at your life and faith from perspectives you might not have ever considered before.

Like all journeys, it has the potential to be an awesome experience. But a lot of the value of this experience depends on you.

Have You Prepared For The Journey?

Ask yourself: Am I in the right mindset? Is my heart prepared to hear God’s voice? Am I willing to be changed? If you can’t answer “yes” to these questions, this journey might not be nearly as spectacular as it could be. If you need to, take a moment and silently talk to God in prayer. Ask God to give you a heart that is open to His leading.

You’re Holding Your Map This book you’re holding is the roadmap for your journey. It will help guide your experiences. Hold on to it. Write your name and the date in the front.

If this journey turns out to be as meaningful as it could potentially be, you’ll want to look back and remember this time in your life.

Make An Impact, Be Impacted As you start your journey, keep your eyes and ears open for those valuable moments where God seems to speak to you. But don’t miss the chance you have to impact your fellow travelers. And to be impacted by them. Your friends are with you in this experience. Be open to what God is doing in and through them, and how He might be using them to speak to you. And vice versa.

Your journey is beginning.

The Pause Session 1 Intro What do you do with all your free time?

If you’re like most teenagers, you’re saying, “What free time?”

Your generation is busier and more involved than any generation before you. School, work, clubs, sports, friends, band, church . . . you name it, you’re involved in it.

And when you do have down time, you’re watching YouTube™ on your phone, playing video games, texting your friends, hitting Facebook. . . all while watching some reality TV show.

Let’s just be honest: You’re not finding a lot of downtime to spend growing your relationship with God. And when you do have time, there is so much “noise” from all the entertainment at your fingertips that you can’t focus.

owing This study is about slnd focusing. down a This study is about hitting PAUSE. You’re about to learn why it’s important to make time to grow your relationship with God. And you’re about to learn exactly how to do this.

Are you ready?

Be prepared to be changed . . .

Let’s get started . . .

1

2

Step One . . .

Every journey begins with a single step. And you’re about to embark upon a journey, of sorts. This journey will lead you to look at your life and faith from perspectives you might not have ever considered before.

Like all journeys, it has the potential to be an awesome experience. But a lot of the value of this experience depends on you.

Have You Prepared For The Journey?

Ask yourself: Am I in the right mindset? Is my heart prepared to hear God’s voice? Am I willing to be changed? If you can’t answer “yes” to these questions, this journey might not be nearly as spectacular as it could be. If you need to, take a moment and silently talk to God in prayer. Ask God to give you a heart that is open to His leading.

You’re Holding Your Map This book you’re holding is the roadmap for your journey. It will help guide your experiences. Hold on to it. Write your name and the date in the front.

If this journey turns out to be as meaningful as it could potentially be, you’ll want to look back and remember this time in your life.

Make An Impact, Be Impacted As you start your journey, keep your eyes and ears open for those valuable moments where God seems to speak to you. But don’t miss the chance you have to impact your fellow travelers. And to be impacted by them. Your friends are with you in this experience. Be open to what God is doing in and through them, and how He might be using them to speak to you. And vice versa.

Your journey is beginning.

The Pause Session 1 Intro What do you do with all your free time?

If you’re like most teenagers, you’re saying, “What free time?”

Your generation is busier and more involved than any generation before you. School, work, clubs, sports, friends, band, church . . . you name it, you’re involved in it.

And when you do have down time, you’re watching YouTube™ on your phone, playing video games, texting your friends, hitting Facebook. . . all while watching some reality TV show.

Let’s just be honest: You’re not finding a lot of downtime to spend growing your relationship with God. And when you do have time, there is so much “noise” from all the entertainment at your fingertips that you can’t focus.

owing This study is about slnd focusing. down a This study is about hitting PAUSE. You’re about to learn why it’s important to make time to grow your relationship with God. And you’re about to learn exactly how to do this.

Are you ready?

Be prepared to be changed . . .

Let’s get started . . .

1

2

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Small Group Session 1 Intro

Session 1: Getting Started Work with your small group leader to respond to the following stats.

You’ve been introduced to this concept of hitting pause.

Hopefully, you have begun to catch a glimpse of how vital hitting pause is to your relationship with God. Hopefully you have grasped that hitting pause and making time for God is vital to your faith life.

But here’s the deal . . . Until you truly begin to understand and value just how important it is to hit pause on a regular basis, you will never change your behavior.

You have to believe something is important before you do something about it.

So, the question is . . . Right now . . . today . . . is growing closer to God important to you?

Before you answer, what do your actions say?

If you want to grow closer to God, you’re in the right place. Get ready to be challenged. But get ready to be equipped, too.

What are you waiting on?

Let’s get started . . .

Are you busy? Overcommitted? Feel like you have a lot going on?

You’re not alone. Research conducted on US teenagers paints an interesting picture of your life. You’re busy. And you’re stressed. Check out the stats below:

Seventy-eight percent of teenagers identify schoolwork as the number one percent source of stress in their lives. Fifty of all 16- to

Nearly eight m illi o n tee n age r s

have a job or

s c h o o l

Forty-one percent of twelfth graders 19-year-olds

participate in some form of performing a re l o o k i n g arts, such as dance, band, art, or theater. for work.

play high

sports.

At least when you’re not in school or at work or at practice, you have time to rest. Um . . . not so much.

Check out this quote from a major study on teenagers and media use: The average American teenager “spends practically every waking minute—except for the time in school—using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device.”

Fifty percent of teenagers Nearly seventythree percent send 50 or more text of all teenagers messages a day. Thirty use social percent send more than n etw o r k i n g 100 texts a day. .

sites

Seventy-six percent of all teenagers own an iPod or an MP3 player.

On the average day, the average 18-year-old spends: • 4.5 hours watching TV . . . • 2.5 hours listening to music or audio . . . • 1.5 hours on the computer . . . • A little over an hour playing video games . . . • Around half an hour reading and half an hour watching movies . . . • For a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes of media exposure a day.

5

6

Small Group Session 1 Intro

Session 1: Getting Started Work with your small group leader to respond to the following stats.

You’ve been introduced to this concept of hitting pause.

Hopefully, you have begun to catch a glimpse of how vital hitting pause is to your relationship with God. Hopefully you have grasped that hitting pause and making time for God is vital to your faith life.

But here’s the deal . . . Until you truly begin to understand and value just how important it is to hit pause on a regular basis, you will never change your behavior.

You have to believe something is important before you do something about it.

So, the question is . . . Right now . . . today . . . is growing closer to God important to you?

Before you answer, what do your actions say?

If you want to grow closer to God, you’re in the right place. Get ready to be challenged. But get ready to be equipped, too.

What are you waiting on?

Let’s get started . . .

Are you busy? Overcommitted? Feel like you have a lot going on?

You’re not alone. Research conducted on US teenagers paints an interesting picture of your life. You’re busy. And you’re stressed. Check out the stats below:

Seventy-eight percent of teenagers identify schoolwork as the number one percent source of stress in their lives. Fifty of all 16- to

Nearly eight m illi o n tee n age r s

have a job or

s c h o o l

Forty-one percent of twelfth graders 19-year-olds

participate in some form of performing a re l o o k i n g arts, such as dance, band, art, or theater. for work.

play high

sports.

At least when you’re not in school or at work or at practice, you have time to rest. Um . . . not so much.

Check out this quote from a major study on teenagers and media use: The average American teenager “spends practically every waking minute—except for the time in school—using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device.”

Fifty percent of teenagers Nearly seventythree percent send 50 or more text of all teenagers messages a day. Thirty use social percent send more than n etw o r k i n g 100 texts a day. .

sites

Seventy-six percent of all teenagers own an iPod or an MP3 player.

On the average day, the average 18-year-old spends: • 4.5 hours watching TV . . . • 2.5 hours listening to music or audio . . . • 1.5 hours on the computer . . . • A little over an hour playing video games . . . • Around half an hour reading and half an hour watching movies . . . • For a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes of media exposure a day.

5

6

Session 1: Digging In

Ready to learn about hitting Pause? Follow your leader’s instructions to work through these questions with your group.

s Describe what happenit pause.” “h u when yo

Read Acts 10:9. Then answer the following questions:

•W hat does Peter’s habits and attitude toward hitting pause have in common with these other accounts?

Finally, let’s bring all of this home . . .

• If you compared your attitude toward making time to be with God with the other examples you just read, how do you stack up?

• What is the most notable difference in how you approach “hitting pause,” and how these individuals approached it?

Let’s see what we can learn from looking at Jesus’ attitude toward hitting pause.

Read Mark 1:32-38. Then answer the following questions:

• How does Mark describe the place that Jesus went?

• What did Jesus do when He was alone?

Read Mark 6:45-47. Then answer the following questions:

• Describe exactly what verses 45-47 show Jesus doing.

• So, let’s summarize these verses. What general characteristics of hitting pause can we learn from looking at Jesus’ example?

Now let’s see what we can learn from other people in the Bible about seeking God by hitting pause: Read Psalm 5:3. Then answer the following questions:

• What do we know about the priority David put on hitting pause?

• Describe what we know about David’s attitude as he spent time with God.

• As we begin to really consider how to apply these concepts in our lives, we have to believe they are important.

o In your mind, why is it important to make time for relationship with God in solitude and silence?

o What is the purpose?

How do the following verses speak to God’s purpose for our lives?

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:13-16) How does knowing how and when to “hit pause” help you fulfill your God-given purpose?

Read Daniel 6:10. Then answer the following question:

7

•W hat can we tell about how important Daniel’s relationship with God was?

8

Session 1: Digging In

Ready to learn about hitting Pause? Follow your leader’s instructions to work through these questions with your group.

s Describe what happenit pause.” “h u when yo

Read Acts 10:9. Then answer the following questions:

•W hat does Peter’s habits and attitude toward hitting pause have in common with these other accounts?

Finally, let’s bring all of this home . . .

• If you compared your attitude toward making time to be with God with the other examples you just read, how do you stack up?

• What is the most notable difference in how you approach “hitting pause,” and how these individuals approached it?

Let’s see what we can learn from looking at Jesus’ attitude toward hitting pause.

Read Mark 1:32-38. Then answer the following questions:

• How does Mark describe the place that Jesus went?

• What did Jesus do when He was alone?

Read Mark 6:45-47. Then answer the following questions:

• Describe exactly what verses 45-47 show Jesus doing.

• So, let’s summarize these verses. What general characteristics of hitting pause can we learn from looking at Jesus’ example?

Now let’s see what we can learn from other people in the Bible about seeking God by hitting pause: Read Psalm 5:3. Then answer the following questions:

• What do we know about the priority David put on hitting pause?

• Describe what we know about David’s attitude as he spent time with God.

• As we begin to really consider how to apply these concepts in our lives, we have to believe they are important.

o In your mind, why is it important to make time for relationship with God in solitude and silence?

o What is the purpose?

How do the following verses speak to God’s purpose for our lives?

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:13-16) How does knowing how and when to “hit pause” help you fulfill your God-given purpose?

Read Daniel 6:10. Then answer the following question:

7

•W hat can we tell about how important Daniel’s relationship with God was?

8

Session 1: Wrapping Up

What’s in your way? Read this quote with your group and consider the following questions.

Our religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to leave plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence. A.W. Tozer • Does this describe your spiritual life? (Don’t feel bad if it doesn’t.

You’re not alone.)

• Describe your spiritual life in two words: ___________________________________ •W hy is it so stinking hard to just slow down and make room to be still and quiet?

• Think about this: what if God has been speaking to you, but you haven’t heard Him because you haven’t been listening?

Think for a minute. . . . What are the “noisy” things in your life that get in the way of spending silent time alone with God? Circle the objects below that present the biggest challenge.

Session 2 Intro How important are relationships to you?

Pretty important, right?

What if you only talked to a parent or a friend once every couple of weeks?

Would you stay close? Would you still know what was going on in their lives?

close to people e b To t. no , se ur co Of ate with them. we have to communic So, why is it that we think we can have a relationship with Christ and only talk to Him every once in a while? Like any relationship, your relationship with the Lord has to be cultivated and maintained. You have to want to grow closer to Him. And you have to make time to talk with Him.

This closeness c pr ayer. If hitt omes through in the relationsh g pause is about ip you and God, th between e language of th n pr ayer is the is relationship .

And this session, session 2, is all about this language.

Here’s a question: If you know that these things keep you from silent time with God, why don’t you do something about it?

Try this: Make a commitment to take a 15- to 30-minute break from the two or three biggest noise makers in your life. Use the silence to study the Bible or talk with God in prayer. You’ll be surprised at how rewarding it is.

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